The Mumuye are people of the Taraba State , Nigeria . They speak the Mumuye language . They constitute the largest tribal group in Taraba State of Nigeria and form the predominant tribes found in Zing , Yorro , Jalingo , Ardo-Kola , Lau , Gassol , Bali and Gashaka , all of which are local government areas of the state. The Mumuye people are also found in many parts of the neighboring Adamawa State .
31-458: Jukun or Djugun or Dyugun may refer to: Jukun people (West Africa) Jukun Takum language Jukun people (Australia) Jukun language (disambiguation) Djugun, Western Australia , suburb of Broome Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Jukun . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
62-512: A council of elders and an elected leader. The Benue River Valley is home to many different groups, including the Mumuye. One thing that seems to be shared within these groups is a spiritual attachment to the land. Throughout the Benue the human figure is a common mode of expression. In fact, some Mumuye sculpture was wrongly attributed to the neighboring Chamba people , because of how prevalent
93-690: A leader named Agadu and traveled through various places including Kordofan , Fitri , Mandara , and the Gongola area before reaching the Benue region . Anthropologist C.K. Meek documented another tradition that suggests the Jukun migrated alongside the Kanuri people from Yemen . They reportedly traveled through Wadai to Ngazargamu , the former capital of the Kanem-Bornu empire . They initially settled in
124-517: A result of a power tussle . The Jukuns are divided into two major groups; the Jukun Wanu and Jukun Wapa. The Jukun Wanu are fishermen residing along the banks of the river Benue and Niger where they run through Taraba State , Benue State and Nasarawa State . The Wukari Federation , headed by the Aku Uka of Wukari , is now the main centre of the Jukun people. The term Jukun or Juku
155-617: A variation of the same language and share cultural traditions. The Mumuye people are a part of the Benue River Valley. The Benue River Valley has been overlooked because of its complexities and innumerable cultures occupying the area. Historically, the Mumuye did not have a central government. Currently, people live in small villages consisting of a number of extended families. These groups are called dola. The culture differs within Mumuye subgroups because of their isolation into these dola. These social groups are governed by
186-429: A z shape, like lightning. This is also thought to represent the movement of snakes. Some even have a head on the end of them that is like the shape of a snake's head. These rods represent fertility of the land, and the people. Sometimes Sukuru masks are worn for rainmaking rites. This mask depicts an old woman with pierced ears. The tradition of piercing ears is an ancient tradition of the Mumuye. The Iagalagana
217-424: Is a figurative sculpture that is used for divination, powers for bestowing good luck and warding off evil, and for its ability to make rain. These are kept in a separate hut and kept by someone thought to have magical powers. These figures are carved by blacksmiths or weavers. Illustrating the prestige of blacksmithing and weaving within Mumuye culture. The Mumuye people have a rich artistic tradition, much of which
248-654: Is derived from the Jukun compound word for 'men' or 'people', apa-juku . The Jukun of [Wukari],[[Ibi], Taraba State|Dampar]] and Wase , however, do not refer to themselves as Jukun but Wapa . They use the first part of the compound word apa-juku instead of the second. Their immediate neighbours refer to them by some form of this term. Thus the Kam call them Apang and the Chamba call them Kpazo . The Jukun of Kona call themselves Jiba ( / d ʒ i b ə / ) but are called Kwana by their neighbours. They are known as Kpe by
279-430: Is figurative and linked to their religious practices. The figural sculptures are used for divination and for healing. They have also been considered to greet people into the rainmaker's hut, guard homes, act as judges within trials, and as confidants. These sculptures are called Iagalagana. This is what the Mumuye are mainly known for. The Iagalagana typically have elongated features and large ear lobes, due to
310-526: Is the Ushavuko, which occurs twice a year. the Mumuye people use scarification for initiation rites. The Mumuye women in particular go through scarification before they are wed, this is present in the sculpture as well. Other Mumuye scarification includes three horizontal rows of cuts that divide the face into thirds. The Mumuye's spirituality is governed by a secret society called the Vabong . within
341-726: The Lake Chad region but later moved to the Benue area due to conflicts with the Kanuri people and overpopulation around the lake. This tradition finds some support in a Bornu tradition, as reported by H.R. Palmer , which indicates that around 1250 A.D., the Kwona, a section of the Jukun, had established themselves along the Gongola River . However, it's worth noting that the Hausa Bayajidda legend portrays Kororofa as one of
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#1732772733503372-669: The Mumuye and Kwe by the Jen . It is worth noting that the term Jukun is a generic term for all Jukun-speaking peoples. The Hausa call them Kwararafa ( Kororafa or Kororofa ). The origin of the term has yet to be established but according to Hausa tradition, the name comes from the Hausa word for crawl, kololofa. This is because they believed the Jukun crawled into their country. The anthropologist C. K. Meek , however, suggests that it may have come from four possible origins: Kwararafa
403-471: The Vabong there are seven levels. The initiation into the society is intense often involving beating. It also involves an explanation of the masks as well as other objects used for divination. In Mumuye religion rainmakers protect the community. They are considered the most powerful to ensuring the community thrives. Mumuye people use rainmaking rods. These are much like lightning rods that protect homes against being struck by lightning. These rods are in
434-674: The "illegitimate" children of Biram. The Jukun established a state that later developed into an empire centered around the Benue River , with its capital named Kororofa . The state was governed by a "Divine King" known as the Aku. According to the Kano Chronicle , Yaji I , the eleventh Sarkin Kano and the first Muslim ruler of Kano , expanded his authority to the borders of Kororofa. The Chronicle mentions that upon Yaji's approach,
465-663: The Benue basin, such as Jukun wanu of Abinsi, Awei District, Donga and Takum, remained politically separate from the Wukari government, and the Jukun-speakers in Adamawa Province recognised the governorship of the Fulani Emir of Muri . In the post-colonial period, Nigeria has suffered violence, the result of multiple ethnic tensions among the different communities living in the country . Tensions exist between
496-862: The Jukun and the neighbouring Tiv people , who migrated from Congo In 1931, the academic publishing company Kegan Paul, Trubner & Co. published A Sudanese Kingdom: An Ethnographic Study of the Jukun-speaking Peoples of Nigeria , a book which had been written by the Briton C. K. Meek , the Anthropological Officer stationed with the Administrative Service in Nigeria. Mumuye people The Mumuye people are isolated into smaller groups . These groups are independent of one another; however, they speak
527-516: The Jukun people fled Kororofa. Yaji remained in Kwararafa for a period of seven months. Kanajeji , Yaji's son and the thirteenth Sarkin Kano, reportedly received tribute in the form of two hundred slaves from the Kwararafa. During the reign of Muhammad Zaki , the twenty-seventh Sarkin Kano, Kwararafa launched an invasion of Kano, prompting the people of Kano to flee to Daura for safety. Kwararafa launched another attack on Kano in 1653, resulting in
558-573: The artistic tradition that illuminates the human form in interesting and innovative ways. The figurative sculptures almost always have an exaggerated navel. Sometimes it is even protruding outward. Genitalia is typically absent or understated. There are two types of masks found within Mumuye culture. There is the Sukwava mask. This shows a long neck and large ears. These were traditionally worn during ceremonies before war. Currently, they are used for healing, and rainmaking. The other mask worn by
589-661: The decline of the Jukun-led Kwararafa state . As a result of the Fulani conquests at the beginning of the 19th century, the Jukun-speaking peoples became politically divided into various regional factions. By the 1920s, the main body of the Jukun population, known as the Wapâ, resided in and around Wukari , where they were governed by the local king and his administration. Other Jukun-speaking peoples living in
620-590: The destruction of Kofan Kawayi, one of the gates of Kano . Additionally, the Chronicle mentions that during the reign of Dadi , Kano faced further invasions. The Chronicle also records that during the reign of Dauda Zaria, under Queen Amina of Zazzau , conquered all the towns as far as Kwararafa and Nupe . According to 'Katsina documents', there was a war between Kwarau, the Sarkin Katsina , and Kwararafa in 1260. The documents also mention that Katsina
651-460: The east, Pindiga to the north and Donga to the south. The language can be divided into six separate dialects: Wukari, Donga, Kona, Gwana and Pindiga, Jibu, and finally Wase Tofa, although Meek noted that the dialects of "Kona, Gwana and Pindiga differ so little that they may be regarded as one." According to oral traditions of the Jukun people, their migration originated from the east, possibly from Yemen, located east of Mecca . They were led by
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#1732772733503682-478: The end of the eighteenth century, Kwararafa, like many states in the region, experienced a decline. The state later faced attacks from the Chamba and Fulani forces in the early nineteenth century, leading to its eventual collapse. Historian Tekena Tamuno suggests that factors such as the displacement of the slave trade by the palm oil trade in Calabar , coupled with internal instability, may have contributed to
713-437: The figure is. These figures typical of the Benue River Valley can represent chiefs, ancestors, or heroes. Smaller figures are used for personal protection; these are typically made of clay and thought to bring good luck and success. Although humans are represented greatly, this human involvement does not extend into the spirit world. The spirit world is thought of by much of the Benue River Valley as calm and rarely affected by
744-694: The human world. Many of the figures made by the people of the Benue River Valley are androgynous. The Mumuye's figures are no exception. The Mumuye are considered the second largest indigenous group, after the Tiv, of the Middle Benue. The Mumuye have masquerades to strengthen community ties. One of these is the Vabon masquerade, a funeral masquerade, that encompasses all of the community. The culture differs within Mumuye subgroups because of their isolation. The Mumuye have different ceremonies, one of which
775-401: The late 1920s, C. K. Meek estimated that there were approximately 25,000 Jukun-speakers then alive. Meek noted that the majority of the Jukun lived in scattered groups around the Benue basin , in an area that roughly corresponded to the extent of the kingdom of Kwararafa as it existed in the 18th century . That area of Jukun habitation, Meek noted, was bounded by Abinsi to the west, Kona to
806-702: The latter half of the seventeenth century. According to Sultan Muhammad Bello of the Sokoto Caliphate in the nineteenth century, Kwararafa was one of the seven greatest kingdoms of the Sudan . Sultan Bello even claimed that Kwararafa's influence extended to the Atlantic , although this assertion is likely an exaggeration. Historian J.M. Fremantle observed that Kwararafa had exerted its sovereignty over various regions at different times, including Kano , Bornu , Idoma , Igbira , and Igala . However, towards
837-865: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jukun&oldid=874807714 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Language and nationality disambiguation pages Jukun people (West Africa) Jukun ( Njikum; Hausa : Kororofawa ; Kanuri : Gwana, Kwana ) are an ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in West Africa . The Jukun are traditionally located in Taraba , Benue , Nasarawa , Plateau , Adamawa , Bauchi and Gombe States in Nigeria and parts of northwestern Cameroon . They are descendants of
868-526: The people of Kwararafa . Most of the tribes in the north central of Nigeria trace their origin to the Jukun people and are related in one way or the other to the Jukuns. Until the coming of both Christianity and Islam , the Jukun people were followers of their own traditional religions. Most of the tribes, Alago , Agatu , Rendere , Goemai in Shendam , and others left Kwararafa when it disintegrated as
899-426: The tradition of inserting discs into the ears. The sculptures with these large earlobes have been determined to be female according to the Mumuye. Sculpture created by the Mumuye people is very diverse, varying in size and shape. Some of the figures are short and squat while others are elongated. While differing in size they are stylized in a similar fashion, making them identifiable as Mumuye. The variation shows
930-420: Was also applied to the Jukun state and its capital city. The Jukun people, however, did not know of this word hence did not use it. They called their ancient capital Api or Pi , or the compound Jukun term, Bie-Pi. This name means "the place of grass or leaves". Pi is a common Sudanic root meaning grass. Conversely, -pi is a common root for house or home and bie-pi can therefore mean town. Writing in
961-424: Was invaded by Kwararafa sometime between 1670 and 1684. In Bornu, during the reign of Ali ibn al-Hajj Umar, the 49th Mai of Bornu from 1645 to 1684, Kwararafa attempted to invade Ngazargamu , the former capital of the Kanem-Bornu empire . However, their invasion was unsuccessful due to the fierce defense mounted by the people of Bornu, with assistance from some Tuaregs . Kwararafa reached its height of power in